Why does US fear Chinese telecom giants?

Source:Global Times Published: 2012-10-9 0:35:04

According to the BBC, the House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee is set to release a report which requests that the US government prevent Chinese telecoms equipment makers Huawei and ZTE from accessing the US market. The BBC report says the committee believes Huawei and ZTE "cannot be trusted" and will "pose a security threat to the US."

The US has repeatedly obstructed Chinese companies from entering into US domestic competition under the pretext of "national security." The US is gradually becoming reduced to an unreasonable country.

Huawei is engaged in equipment supply in most countries around the world. Why would only the US be threatened?

According to this logic, there's no secure country, because US companies supply telecommunications equipment and software operating systems to the whole world.

It is because the US government wants to protect the interests of US companies that it is being so unreasonable.

Washington is afraid that Chinese companies will bring competition and challenges to the US. Its lack of self-confidence is astonishing. Out of fear, the US is becoming oversensitive to China and even suspects equipment makers such as Huawei and ZTE.

If China held the same state of mind as the US, it would search for substitutes to drive US products out of China, which would result in no mutual investment or trade between China and the US.

China cannot be as generous as it was before.

In the high-tech sector, Chinese companies can hardly be called equal rivals to their American competitors, many of which provide most of the products in the Chinese market. That, however, shouldn't prevent China from launching countermeasures. This must be recognized by the US.

It takes serious efforts, and sometimes actions by the government, to protect domestic enterprises. The US and European countries must be told clearly that if Chinese companies encounter harassment there, they should expect companies from these countries to meet the same treatment in China.

The rules of international trade and investment are a result of negotiations, as well as a battle of wits. International trade regulations are fragile. They needs constant supervision and improvement. Without the determination to compete, don't expect the US to respect or honor its commitments to China.

As the Sino-US competition becomes more intense, Washington will find more faults with China. Protesting alone will be of no avail. We have to show through concrete actions that any unfair treatment to Chinese companies will be met by similar losses to American interests.

China and the US, as two big powers, are struggling to get along with each other. China should be active and resolute and clearly signal its intentions. Otherwise, it will let the US dominate bilateral relations.